Northamptonshire first-time author and 18-year-old illustrator team up to create children’s book series

A local author and a young illustrator teamed up during lockdown to publish a children’s book.

Hayley Mason. from Silverstone, works as a legal assessor and trainer, however while away on her honeymoon in the Lake District last year, she wrote a series of children’s books featuring her cockapoo, Fenton.

Fenton’s Adventures on a Boat, which is part of an 11-part series, was released in September this year, after Hayley decided during lockdown she wanted to bring the book to life.

The 40-year-old said: “It was never on the bucket list to write a book, but now I have done it’s amazing.

“When you know you have done something that is out there, there is a real sense of accomplishment.”

In order to bring the book to life, Hayley needed an illustrator and she was keen to team up with someone who was at the beginning of their career.

With a little help from social media, Hayley found Megan Smart, from Deanshanger, who finished her A-Levels in March and, like most people, found herself with more time on her hands during lockdown.

The 18-year-old said: “I have loved art for ages now and I did A-Level art.

“It’s one of my passions and I was bored during lockdown so I started doing things here and there for myself.

“My mum and friends said I should get my work out there so my mum put my art on a local Facebook group.

“I got loads of commissions from there, mainly drawing people’s dogs.”

From the post in the local Facebook group, Hayley got in touch with Megan and asked if she would be interested in illustrating a children’s book.

Between April and August, Megan illustrated 17 pages focussed around Fenton, before the book’s release in September.

Megan added: “I’d never done anything like this before.

“I couldn’t believe it when my mum woke me up to tell me an author had been in touch with me.

“I thought it couldn’t be real. It is crazy, but it’s really cool and I have loved it.”

Hayley added: “I know you can connect with artists on agency websites and these people are good, but I thought it would be great if I could get someone who has just come out of college and help springboard their career.

“I wanted to give Megan a chance and to pay her for something she loves to do.

“Knowing I have given this young person a chance is an amazing thing and it makes me proud.”

Megan was planning to go to university to study travel and tourism, but during lockdown started having doubts.

Instead she decided to follow her passion and enrol in an art and business higher national certificate (HNC) course at a Bletchley college, as well as working on the illustrations for the second book.

Find Hayley and Megan’s first book on Amazon.

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